Suspicions
by Maplefrost
Summary: Everyone seems to like Flisa, but Sam isn't so sure. Companion to 'Snowflakes, Strangers, and Spells', will not make sense if read as a stand-alone.
1. Chapter 1

"So what happened next?" Frodo asked.

He was sitting underneath a small tree, with Flisa sitting next him, telling him about a time she had been attacked by dwarves on accident while traveling through the mountains.

"Well, I looked down at them from the tree and said, 'It's Flisa, ya silly ole ducks!' So, they finally recognized me and stopped tryin' to bash me head in."

Frodo laughed, and Flisa did as well, shoving Frodo playfully with her shoulder.

Sam didn't like this. He didn't like it one bit.

He was grateful to Flisa for saving Pippin's life, but he didn't like her spending all this time with Frodo. From all the tales she had to tell, she had obviously been all around Middle-Earth, and knew how to fight. What if she was some sort of killer? What if she planned to harm Frodo? Sam couldn't let that happen.

He stood there, watching, until finally he'd had enough. He took his angry thoughts and suspicions back to the garden, where he started picking a few leaves that had fallen on the soil.

"Samwise!"

Sam looked up, startled. Where was the voice coming from?

"In here, me lad!"

Sam looked in the window and saw a friendly looking old hobbit sitting in a chair. "Mr. Bilbo!" he said, standing up and walking over to the window. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Long enough to see you storming into the garden in a right fix. What's wrong?"

Sam hesitated to answer Bilbo's question. Should he tell the old hobbit about his doubts? Would he think he was being foolish? 'Silly Sam,' he would say. 'Why would you ever suspect such a thing?"

"Well, Mr. Bilbo…it's that Flisa."

Bilbo was taken aback. "What about her? She seems a right fine lass to me, quite bright, too."

'Oh no,' Sam worried in his mind. 'I knew it.'

"I know, it's just…she's spending a lot of time with Mr. Frodo, and, well…seeing as she's so strong and sneaky and all, I can't help suspecting that maybe…" He paused.

"Come on, Samwise. Out with it."

Sam gulped. "That maybe she aims to kill him, sir!" There. He'd said it. Or, more like, he'd blurted it.

Bilbo's eyes widened. "Well, I…I never thought of it like that. But, I don't think I have any place in this. Why don't you go talk to Flisa?"

Sam was a little startled. What would he say? 'Hey, yes, I was just wondering if you plan on killing Mr. Frodo.'

He nodded weakly and started to walk out of the garden. He returned to the tree, and found Frodo a little ways away, laying asleep in the ankle-high grass. Sam looked around. Where was Flisa?

And then he saw her. She was crouched a little ways off from Frodo. For a second, he thought the dog was asleep. Then, he noticed her eyes were open. Her muscles were bunched, and her teeth were bared.

Slowly, she put one paw in front of the other. Sam tilted his head. What was she doing?

Realization hit Sam like a boulder. Flisa was moving slowly so she'd be quiet, and her eyes were open because she was looking at Frodo.

She was going to kill him.


	2. Chapter 2

"NO!"

Sam jumped out from his hiding place, standing between Frodo and Flisa. "I won't let you kill him!"

Suddenly, a large rabbit ran out from behind Frodo and into the woods.

Flisa growled. "Goodness, Sam! There goes me lunch, runnin' off to who knows where. Ya know I haven't seen a rabbit that big in quite a while?" She sat up and scowled at Sam.

Frodo, who had woken up at the sound of Sam yelling, said, "Sam, what did you do that for?"

Sam felt utterly ridiculous. 'Good work, Samwise,' he thought. 'You were wrong, as usual.'

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Frodo. It's just…when I came and saw Ms. Flisa crouched up with her teeth and all, I thought…well I thought…"

Flisa narrowed her eyes. "What have I done, Sam? I has been nothin' but kind to ya, hasn't I? If I did somethin' bad, I cannae 'member it. I can't believe you'd…you'd even think…" She said no more. Instead, she ran off into the trees of the Bindbole forest.

Frodo glared at Sam. "What'd you have to do that for?" Then, without saying another word, he took off after Flisa.

Sam sat down on the grass with a thud. Poor Flisa. She was right. She hadn't done anything wrong. He had just assumed she was a killer. Ashamed of himself, he rested his face in his hands.

Realizing that sitting on the ground would not help, he stood up and began walking into the forest after Flisa and Frodo.

----x--X--x----

Sam had been walking for just a few minutes when he heard a familiar yell.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam whispered into the wind.

He was answered by a bloodcurdling scream.

"MR. FRODO!" Sam took off, jumping over things and dodging trees, running like a madman. He could hear fighting, growling, yelling, and barking. What was going on?

Finally, he burst into a small clearing, falling on his knees. Then, he looked up, and his mind whirled in confusion as the stench of blood hit his nostrils.

Frodo was lying there, not moving, his neck and hands red. Blood streaked the grass. And there was Flisa, standing over Frodo's body, her muzzle red, and her paws standing in a pool of crimson.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was shocked into silence.

Frodo.

That thing, that _dog_, had killed Frodo.

And he'd given her the chance to do it.

Sam ran. He couldn't stop. "She's done it!" he yelled. "She's killed him! She's killed Mr. Frodo!" He ran as fast as he could, finally reaching Bag End. He slammed the door with his palm, until he laid against the door in exhaustion, tears streaming down his face.

"Sam?" Bilbo opened the door and caught the young hobbit as he fell forward. "Whatever is the matter?"

"She…" Sam murmured, but was lost for words.

"She? She who? What is it Sam?"

Sam swallowed, and then whispered, "She killed Mr. Frodo."

Bilbo's eyes widened. "I…I…no, she didn't. Not Flisa. She couldn't have! She wouldn't…" He looked down at Sam, as if he was expecting an answer.

Sam stood up. "It's true. She took him into the woods and killed him. I'll show you, if you don't believe me." He walked out of Bag End, and found the Bilbo was plodding behind him, as if in a daze.

The silent pair walked into the slowly darkening forest, paying no attention if a leaf fell or a branch rustled.

"We're almost there," Sam whispered. Bilbo said nothing; he merely nodded and continued walking down the path. Finally, Sam stopped, and started to turn towards the clearing.

He hadn't taken even one step forward before something large, black, and heavy landed on his chest. He looked up, and saw flaming red eyes and crimson-stained teeth.

It was Flisa.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sam! Oh, than' goodness yer here!" Flisa jumped off of Sam. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Flisa's neck and let her pull him to his feet. Bilbo stood, a little ways off, shocked into silence.

"Sorry 'bout that, pushin' ya down 'n all," Flisa said. "I'm glad yer here, though. Thought I ws gonna have to haul to poor lad back meself."

Sam stood there, silent. And then he remembered.

"You…you traitor!" He leapt at her, punching and kicking blindly. "I can't believe you would just kill him like that! You monster! You murderer!"

Flisa, startled, was pushed off her balance. She didn't fight back; se merely tried to get away from him.

Suddenly, a noise came from the bushes. Sam stopped, and Flisa took this opportunity to break away, crouching low to the ground.

Before Sam could move, a tall figure jumped out from its hiding spot. A man, by the looks of him, armed with a knife. He slashed at Sam, but the hobbit was able to dodge his blow.

Flisa leapt forward and pinned the man to the ground. She was limping and hurting from Sam's beating, but she growled, and he yelled, swinging his weapon back and forth. Flisa jumped away, her skin sliced in several places. The man lunged, and she jumped aside.

Finally, after several blows and dodges, Flisa leapt at him, her jaws closing around his neck. The man gasped, struggled feebly, and soon moved no more.

Flisa pulled herself off of him. As she moved away from the man's body, Sam saw that she was breathing heavily. The man's knife had been plunged into her side. She stumbled forward and collapsed onto the ground.

"My goodness…" Bilbo murmured. Sam rushed forward to look at the man.

"Wait just a moment!" Sam exclaimed, pulling something off the man. "This is Frodo's!" He held up Frodo's cloak that he had found in the man's pack.

"Why," Bilbo murdered. "He must've been robbed! This man was a bandit!"

Sam looked down at his feet. "And Flisa saved us," he murmured.

"Which probably means that she wasn't the one who killed Frodo," Bilbo murmured.

"D-d-didn't…kill…F-Frodo…"

Sam rushed to the dog's side as he heard her rasp the words. "What?"

Flisa looked up at him, her red eyes cloudy. "I…didn't k-kill Frodo…the, the bandits..."

Sam glanced up at Bilbo, tears in his eyes. His eyes met Flisa's again. "I-I'm sorry, Flisa…I…I…We'll get you back, we will, and you'll be fine, and…and… "

"Stop the stutter, silly hobbit," Flisa murmured with a smile. "Anyways…I'm n-not gonna make it, dearie. I can feel it. J-just go 'elp Frodo."

Sam's eyes widened. "Frodo? But, he's dead!"

Flisa shook her head weakly. "Nah, he's just been bashed on his head. He'll be fine, go get 'im."

Bilbo, overhearing this, ran off to attend to Frodo. Sam remained with Flisa. "Go, Sam. Go!" she ordered, shoving him with her nose. Sam stood up and ran to help Bilbo.

They picked up Frodo, who moaned in pain. Bilbo carried his head, while Sam carried his feet. They walked around Flisa, who smiled and murmured, "See ya Bilbo, you've been so nice to me. Bye Frodo, get well soon, dearie."

She then looked at Sam, who hung his head. "Goodbye, Sam love. I forgive ya. You be good fer your ole Gaffer, tell 'im I said goodbye, won't cha?"

Sam was shocked. "I…I…well, yes." Flisa smiled and laid her head down.

Bilbo bowed his head and started walking again.

When they reached Bag End, the Gaffer was waiting for them. The three hobbits tended to Frodo's wound, which was a small cut on his forehead, and they cleaned up the blood on him.

"I have to go back and get Flisa," Sam whispered to Bilbo. "I can't just leave her there."

Bilbo smiled. "Don't worry, Sam. You stay here and watch Frodo; Hamfast and I will go get her."

The two older hobbits went to find Flisa, while Sam stayed behind, looking out of the window in worry.

----x--X--x----

After a while, Sam noticed that Frodo was turning and muttering in his sleep.

"Sshh," Sam murmured. "It's alright Mr. Frodo, don't worry."

But nothing he said could comfort the sleeping hobbit.

----x--X--x----

Frodo awoke to a throbbing forehead. He sat up, looking around in confusion. What had happened?

"Eh!"

Startled, Frodo looked to his right. He saw a large, black dog, sitting up and glaring at him.

"Stop movin' the bed, you idjit," she muttered.

"Flisa!" Frodo threw his arms around her. Flisa smiled, but winced.

"Ai! Watch it, darlin'. Got quite busted up, see."

Frodo pulled away and looked at her. She was bandaged up all over the place. "Oh, Flisa…"

"Don'cha go all 'Oh Flisa' on me, sonny!" she said playfully. "Now, why don't ya go tell yer ole uncle that if 'e wants me to stay in this here bed an' heal, he better bring me somethin' to eat afore I die."

Frodo nodded and rushed off to find Bilbo, running past Sam, who'd been coming in.

Sam walked into the small room. "F-F-Flisa?"

Flisa smiled. "C'mere, you silly lil' hobbit! Why haven't you come tae visit me, eh?"

Sam moved closer, his eyes on his feet. "Well I…I thought that…since I'd thought…and I had…."

Flisa rolled her eyes. "What've I told ya 'bout stutterin'? I forgave ya fer what ya did, and I'm proud."

Sam looked up. "Proud?"

"Yes, proud. Frodo is much too trusting. I can see that you're going to be very helpful to him, You're smart Sam, and you can see the bad in people, even when Frodo can't. And that's a good thing." She grinned. "Plus, yer a pretty good fighter. I could teach ya more if you like."

Sam smiled. "Would you?"

Flisa nodded. "Why, a 'course. Now, go see what's takin' Frodo so long with that food!"


End file.
